April 22, 2010

Fashion has Brains

Every week I am always surprised by the selection of posts we receive here at IFB. I think back to before I started my blog, the discrimination I felt working in retail and adoring fashion, because it was shallow and it wasn’t academic. Now I look at the community I am a part of and think– how could anyone accuse fashion enthusiasts of being shallow? Or fashion designers, lovers of style? Indeed, like any frowned upon medium or niche, fashion has brains; it has ingenuity, it has controversy, it has creativity, and it has depth.

This week I want to celebrate those putting fashion and intellect together, to show that there’s more than meets that glittering eye…

April 15, 2010

It’s with what cannot be taught that one succeeds. – Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

Gabrielle Bonheur”Coco” Chanel is a mysterious figure whose past is fraught with ambiguity. As my favorite designer, and icon for female empowerment, I’ve done my fair share of reading on Mademoiselle Chanel. When I heard Paul Morand’s The Allure of Chanel was being reissued with illustrations by Karl Lagerfeld, I immediately had to get my hands on a copy.

Morand’s The Allure of Chanel stands apart from other books on Gabrielle Chanel’s life because the text is in Chanel’s own words. Mlle. Chanel invited Paul Morand to visit her in St. Moritz so that he could write her memoirs. Morand took many notes on his conversations with Coco on everything from hard work, beauty, wealth, aging and solitude. After the interviews, the notes were stashed away, only to be discovered after Mlle. Chanel’s death. Thirty years after the interviews, Paul Morand published The Allure of Chanel.

I read The Allure of Chanel from cover to cover in a matter of hours. Maybe it’s because I’m infatuated with the subject matter, or maybe it was because it will be the closest to hearing her speak in her own words, but I was hooked from the moment I started reading. It’s very rare that you can get a glimpse into the mind of a haute couture and fashion branding pioneer and Paul Morand gives us the opportunity. The illustrations by Karl Lagerfeld at the beginning of each chapter only enhance the experience. If you have any interest at all in Chanel, I highly recommend this book. The Allure of Chanel is available now online.

April 12, 2010

The seeming simplicity of a masterpiece is sure proof of its grace. – Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel

Anyone familiar with the Chanel brand knows that the Camélia is one of the brands symbols because it was Coco Chanel’s favorite flower. It is said that she was drawn to the flower’s simplicity – with neither scent or thorns – the Camélia’s beauty lies in its perfect order of petals.

Chanel has long had fine jewelry collections featuring the Camélia – one of my favorites being the gorgeous time pieces. Now, Chanel introduces Camélia Ajouré – a new collection of striking fine jewelry – all with the Camélia motif.

The pieces in the collection feature rings, cuffs, necklaces and earrings in 18K white gold and 18K yellow gold. Some pieces are adorned with diamonds, while others in black onyx and white agate. The most striking pieces feature black and white diamonds – swoon! Most of the pieces are classical interpretations of the Camélia but there is one ring that is a bit more of an abstract design. One of my favorite designs is a “remix” of the infamous Chanel Comètes Necklace with a Camélia replacing the star and a singular diamond drop replacing the the 3 strands of diamonds.

All of the pieces are gorgeous but since they are fine jewelry they definitely don’t come cheap. For now, I’ll have to settle for the costume jewelry but I can dream can’t I?

Coco Chanel is a fashion icon but what launched her into fashion cult status is the worldwide popularity of her signature scent, Chanel No.5. The house of Chanel has released countless fragrances – one more compelling than the next. I personally love Coco Mademoiselle, Allure, Chanel No.5 Sensual Elixir and my current favorite Beige.

Nylon TV‘s Factory Girl paid a visit to the famed Chanel Perfume Lab where “all the magic happens” to sit down and chat with famed “nose” (i.e., perfumer) Jacques Polge. So jealous! I want her job! Watch the video below …

Karl Lagerfeld has designed an aluminum bottle with his unmistakable (now slender) silhouette. The bottle comes in a chic limited edition box with a bottle opener. You can get the Karl Lagerfeld Coca Cola Light bottle at Colette – coming soon on April 24th!